Recently, vehicle keys including a transmitter for remotely locking and unlocking the doors of the vehicle have increased in popularity.
The vehicle keys may generally include a gripping portion and a key plate portion, in which case, the transmitter may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) contained in the gripping portion of the key. An antenna for transmitting electromagnetic waves produced by the transmitter usually comprises either a printed pattern on the PCB, or a wire antenna contained in the gripping portion.
According to this type of prior art design, the antenna may be limited in size by the shape and dimensions of the gripping portion, consequently limiting the wave strength transmitted from the antenna. In addition, when the antenna is contained in the gripping portion, at least a part of the wave strength generated at the antenna may be blocked by the surrounding gripping portion.